WASHINGTON-(UPI)--The U.S. corn crop is well ahead of its long-range historic averages with 54 percent in the dented kernel stage, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said at the start of this week.
Hitting the five-year average for the crop's progress would put 37 percent of the crop at the dented stage at this point in the season.
Eighty-eight percent of the crop is now listed as having reached at least the dough stage, the stage at which the kernels are plump with moisture, before they dehydrate and form dents.
Historically, 74 percent of the crop is at the dough stage by this week of the year.
States report 94 percent of the U.S. cotton crop has set bolls, slightly ahead of the five-year average of 90 percent for this time of year.
The soybean crop is also ahead of its five-year average, 91 percent having set pods compared to a five-year average of 90 percent.
The nation's rice harvest is under way with 18 percent of the rice crop harvested, compared to an historic average of 12 percent. The winter wheat harvest is 95 percent done. The spring wheat harvest is 53 percent complete, the USDA said.
